Opposites Attract: The 2013 Sherwin-Williams Colormix™ Forecast

If there’s one lesson for color in 2013, it’s this: opposites attract. That was the theme of the aptly named Opposites Attract: The 2013 Sherwin-Williams Colormix™ Forecast seminar at Las Vegas Market. Laurie Clark, senior design account executive for the Sherwin-Williams Company led attendees on a splashy tour of what to expect in the color-scape of 2013. It’s as unexpected, mysterious and alluring as it sounds.

Clark discussed four divergent color directions: “midnight mystery,” “honed vitality,” “vintage moxie” and “high voltage.” Just as the titles imply, the colors of the coming year range from soft neutral tones to dark and stormy saturation to electro-shocking glows. Clark painted a picture of how the different styles look:

• Midnight mystery is summed up with words such as “Thomas Edison lighting,” “secret cinema” and “dusty interiors.”

• Honed vitality refers to a more earthy theme, and calls to mind landscapes, church interiors, homemaker blogs and Etsy creations.

• Vintage moxie brings to mind retro throwbacks, such as Mad Men and Twiggy, presented with a new modern edge. It’s free-spirited and fun, but also glamorous—picture laminates and painted furniture.

Clark added that designers are playing with light sources to create colors and shadows, and using black and white tones as palette cleansers. Color is also de rigueur, whether it’s bold color blocks or bright Las Vegas-style neon. Today, people are interested in finding works of art in everyday furnishings and décor, and the use of color and lighting truly takes a room or an object to the next level.